Apparatus and method for supplying fuel to a gas-generating system
AssigneeNuCellSys GmbH
InventorsWolfgang Luck, Martin Schafer, Erik Theis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for supplying fuel to a gas-generating system to generate hydrogen-rich gas in a fuel cell system includes two gas-generating components; a metering device, which can supply fuel by a valve-controlled distribution to each of the two gas-generating components; and a fuel storage basin. The fuel basin which supplies fuel to one of the gas-generating components during a changeover or connecting process between the gas-generating components.
Claims6
An apparatus for supplying fuel to a gas-generating system for generating hydrogen-rich gas in a fuel cell system, comprising:
- at least first and second gas-generating components;
- a common metering apparatus that can supply fuel to each gas-generating components by a valve system;
- and
- a fuel storage basin that supplies fuel to the second gas-generating component during a changeover process or a connecting process.
A method for changing over between at least two gas-generating components or connecting at least two gas-generating components, said method comprising:
- supplying a first gas-generating component with fuel by a gas-metering device;
- connecting a fuel storage basin with a second gas-generating component, so that the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel from the fuel storage basin;
- connecting the gas-metering device to the second gas-generating component so that the first and second gas-generating components are supplied simultaneously with fuel by the metering device and the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel simultaneously from the metering device and the fuel storage basin;
- disconnecting the fuel storage basin from the second gas-generating component so that only the metering device supplies fuel to the two gas-generating components;
- and
- optionally disconnecting the metering device from the first gas-generating component so that only the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel by the metering device.
A method for changing over between at least two gas-generating components or connecting at least two gas-generating components, said method comprising:
- closing a valve between a metering device and a fuel storage basin;
- closing a valve between the metering device and a second gas-generating component;
- closing a valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component;
- opening a valve between the metering device and a first gas-generating component so that the fuel is supplied to the first gas-generating component by the metering device;
- opening the valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component so that fuel is metered from the fuel storage basin to the second gas-generating component;
- opening the valve between the metering device and the second gas-generating component so that the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel simultaneously from the fuel storage basin and the metering device;
- and
- closing the valve between the metering device and the first gas-generating component and the valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component so that the first gas-generating component is switched off and fuel is supplied only by the metering device to the second gas-generating component.
A method for changing over between at least two gas-generating components or connecting at least two gas-generating components, said method comprising:
- closing a valve between a metering device and a fuel storage basin;
- closing a valve between the metering device and a second gas-generating component;
- closing a valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component;
- opening a valve between the metering device and a first gas-generating component so that the fuel is supplied to the first gas-generating component by the metering device;
- opening the valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component so that fuel is metered from the fuel storage basin to the second gas-generating component;
- opening the valve between the metering device and the second gas-generating component so that the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel simultaneously from the fuel storage basin and the metering device;
- and
- closing the valve between the fuel storage basin and the second gas-generating component so that fuel is supplied only by the metering device to the first and second gas-generating components.
A method for changing over between at least two gas-generating components or connecting at least two gas-generating components, said method comprising:
- supplying a first gas-generating component with fuel by a gas-metering device;
- supplying fuel from a fuel storage basin to a second gas-generating component;
- supplying fuel simultaneously from the gas-metering device to the first and second gas-generating components while the second gas-generating component is also supplied with fuel from the fuel storage basin;
- stopping the supply of fuel from the fuel storage basin to the second gas-generating component so that the metering device only supplies fuel to the two gas-generating components;
- and
- optionally stopping the supply of fuel from the metering device to the first gas-generating component so that only the second gas-generating component is supplied with fuel by the metering device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.